Commentary: Animal activists: Keep fairs fair

All across the nation youth can be found exhibiting 4-H and FFA projects at county and state fairs.

Many of these young men and women will learn life lessons from showing their prized bovine, equine, swine, or maybe even a porcupine. Some will continue those lessons as they pursue careers in agriculture. All will be potential advocates for the industry.

The majority of youth in America are not fortunate enough to participate in fulfilling activities like the bucket calf project or selling their blue-ribbon market lamb. However, those non-participants do get the opportunity to learn from their 4-H and FFA member counterparts when they attend a fair. Urban and suburban youth alike have the chance to see other kids in action as they fit and show livestock. It is a great learning experience for all.

Animal activist groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been trying for the past few years to step into state fair venues in nearly every area of the country to “educate” children.

Just this past month PETA was allowed to voice its opinion for the first time at the California State Fair with a booth illustrating the motive “to make kids wary of dairy.” The booth featured games to lure in kids and then detailed reasons why they should ditch dairy or meat products for a vegan lifestyle.

I personally see nothing wrong with the booth, even though I do not support PETA’s philosophy. Fairs are completely pro-animal agriculture. All you have to do is take a walk down the midway to realize this. You’ll see people dining on turkey legs, corn dogs and bacon-covered everything, all while 4-H and FFA members show off the fruits of their labor.

Farrowing crates help protect baby pigs from being crushed by the sow, and give the pigs a warm, dry place to lie. Can you imagine the trauma children would experience if they saw and heard a baby pig being laid on by its mother?

The Livestock Nursery Exhibit lets people – who would not otherwise get the chance – see pigs, cows and sheep give birth. This service is run by students and faculty from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, who will spend their time caring for the animals and educating children about livestock.

The same problems with farrowing crates happened at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine Kansas State Fair Birthing Center in 2008. The decision was made to not show sows giving birth because of the outcry from animal rights activists. Now, five years later the Birthing Center is bringing back the popular display to educate Kansans.

I was one of those Kansas kids who benefited from seeing the birth of baby piglets at this exhibit. Even being the son of a veterinarian and raised in agriculture, it was my first experience seeing piglets farrowed. I’m happy it is back and I know it will be just as educational today as it was when I was a youngster.

Growing up in a beef-centric state like Kansas, most of my interactions with other livestock species happened at fairs. I saw dairy cows being milked at the parlor of the State Fair. I was able to help my friends bathe their hogs and sheep at the wash rack of the Greenwood County Fair. More than anything, I was able to share with my “town” friends what it means to care for livestock.

ALDF and PETA want to continue to change the rules of the fair, when the primary purpose of the fair is to showcase agriculture and educate fair visitors. Hopefully, animal rights activists will keep fairs fair, but I doubt it.

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About the Author:

Wyatt Bechtel

| Wyatt Bechtel grew up on a ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas where his days were spent caring for livestock and the land. The formative days of his youth instilled in him great pride and appreciation for agriculture. From the ranch, he went to Kansas State University where he majored in agricultural communications and journalism with a dual in animal science. During his final year at K-State, he served as editor of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. He graduated in the spring of 2012 with honors. He spends his weekdays “writing for the brand” at Vance Publishing, but on weekends you can find him “riding for the brand” at the Bechtel Ranch.